ORIGINAL: jroot
i'm a bit disgusted in some of the responses i've seen posted. i would have thought that responsible hunters would demonstrate a bit more restraint in the killing of potentially domesticated pets.
Just a guess Jroot , but you don't live in the country do you ? I do , and loose pets are a serious problem here . When those "domesticated pets" roam at will and cause problems they are no longer "domesticated pets" , they're varmints at best and a threat to livestock , wild game , and people . I can't count the number of times I've seen someone write in to the local paper complaining about people dumping unwanted dogs and cats on their property .
I've personally been threatened by stray dogs while in the woods and elsewhere , and I'll shoot any animal that does this without a second thought . It's impossible where I live to maintain a feeder for birds because of the stray cats , and I haven't seen a squirrel in my yard since I moved in nearly 14 years ago . We used to have chipmunks in our yard , and they were entertaining to watch , but they no longer exist .
When I go out to hunt I rarely see a rabbit or quail in the fields anymore , did they all fall prey to hawks and owls ? Did the coyotes have a sudden feast ? No , Rover and Mr. Boots slaughtered them , mostly for play . I've seen their mutilated carcasses far too many times to think otherwise .'Yotes don't leave bodies behind , neither do other predators .
I give any stray that enters my yard a fair chance to move on , but the ones that return will be dealt with whether you approve or not . You don't have to live with the problems .